


It's Easier To See What Isn't There Than What Is

by CelestialVoid



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Chesapeake Ripper, Chesapeake Ripper Case, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper, M/M, One Shot, References to Clue | Cluedo, Short One Shot, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 05:03:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12425571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialVoid/pseuds/CelestialVoid
Summary: Will and Hannibal play Clue and Hannibal reveals his sensitive side and a secret that turns Will’s life upside down.





	It's Easier To See What Isn't There Than What Is

**Author's Note:**

> AU: Domestic (Hannigram) - loveyprophet (loveyprophet.tumblr.com)  
> Dialogue: “I let you win.” - Anonymous  
> Plot Twist: THE MAID DIDN’T KILL COLONEL MUSTARD AFTER ALL - narcissistnech (narcissistnech.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you for the 1000 Tumblr followers!

Will slammed his hand down on the table.

“I know who did it!” he said triumphantly.

Hannibal raised his brow, his eyes glimmering as he looked at Will’s ecstatic expression.

“The maid killed Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the lead pipe,” Will answered.

Hannibal reached across the table and picked up the small yellow envelope, his eyes focused on Will as he asked, “Are you sure? If you’re wrong, the game ends.”

“I’m certain,” Will answered.

Hannibal drew the cards from the envelope and looked at them. After a second, he set them down and smirked slightly. “You are right.”

Will let out a soft gasp as his face lit up, a radiant smile lifting the corners of his lips.

Hannibal couldn’t help but watch him, his heart melting at the sight of the man’s shimmering eyes and joyous celebration; leaping from his seat and crying out triumphantly.

Will turned to look at him, at the soft smile that played across Hannibal’s lips.

Will’s face fell. “What?”

Hannibal furrowed his brow slightly, confused.

“What’s that face for?” Will repeated.

“Nothing,” Hannibal lied. He looked at Will, a soft smile playing across his lips as he stared at him lovingly. “It’s just nice to see you happy.”

Will didn’t believe him. He stepped back over to the table and held his hand out. “Show me the cards.”

Hannibal’s gaze didn’t waver. “Why does it matter? You’ve won, Will.”

“Show me the cards,” Will repeated, firmly.

Hannibal sighed and passed the cards to him.

Will looked through them.

Lead Pipe.

Kitchen.

He froze, staring at the ‘murderer’.

He picked the card out, letting the other two fall to the table as he held Professor Plum up before Hannibal. His glare was cold and his voice tense as he said, “You lied to me.”

“I let you win,” Hannibal replied, his voice calm and level. “And you did technically win; I looked at the cards and now I can’t make an accusation, therefore the game ended and you won.”

“But I didn’t win, Hannibal!” Will snapped, throwing the card onto the table. “I got it wrong.”

His eyes darkened with defeat, filling with tides of emotions: anger, sadness, betrayal.

“Why did you lie to me?” he asked, his voice breaking under the strain.

“A small lie can be more merciful than the truth. Will, it’s been a while since you’ve been in the field and you’ve driven yourself crazy with this manhunt of the ‘Chesapeake Ripper’,” Hannibal pointed out. “I wanted you to have a little win so you wouldn’t give up hope.”

“I haven’t given up,” Will growled.

“Then why are you distracting yourself with a strategic murder game?” Hannibal asked.

Will didn’t answer; he drew in a deep breath and slumped down in the armchair. He dragged his hands down his weary face, trying to compose himself. After a minute, he looked up at Hannibal, suspicious. “Your gameplay had a lot of forethought to it. How did you know to pick up the cards instead of letting me look at them?”

“Look at your cards,” Hannibal said softly, nodding to where Will had set down his hand.

Will’s brow furrowed as he leant forward and picked up the cards. He shuffled through them.

His heart sank into his gut as his eyes fell upon the illustration of Mrs White, the maid.

“You showed that card to me in the first round when you had to reveal one random card,” Hannibal reminded him.

“How did I not see it?” Will muttered, unable to take his eyes off the card.

“Because it’s easier to see what isn’t there than it is to see what is,” Hannibal answered. “You stopped looking at the clues and started filling in the gaps.”

“It’s easier to see what isn’t there than it is to see what is…” Will mused, rising from his seat and making his way over to his desk. He pulled the Chesapeake Ripper file out of one of the drawers and spread it across the polished mahogany.

“Will?” Hannibal called, confused.

Will began to push through the glossy photographs and sheets of paper until they were all visible.

“It’s a courtship,” Will uttered.

“Between whom?” Hannibal asked, stepping over to Will’s side.

“Between the Ripper and the police,” Will answered.

“That’s too broad,” Hannibal mused, looked down at the photographs of posed bodies. “It’s a courtship between two people, the Ripper and someone else.”

“Who?” Will asked, frustration adding a sharp edge to his voice.

“Look at what’s there, not what isn’t,” Hannibal advised. “The Ripper poses these bodies for someone to see them; so, who was there at every scene?”

“I was,” Will answered. He paused, his voice more sure as he repeated. “I was.”

Hannibal smirked.

Will’s expression fell. His eyes darted up to meet Hannibal’s, a glimmer of realisation filling the swirling depths.

“What is it, Will?” Hannibal asked.

“There’s only one person who has ever ‘courted’ me,” Will said, his eyes locked onto Hannibal’s as he stepped around the edge of the desk and stood before the man. His voice was low, almost threatening, as he added, “You.”

Hannibal raised his brow, an expression that resembled amusement or maybe pride washing over his face.

“You’re the Chesapeake Ripper,” Will said firmly.

Hannibal didn’t deny it. A small smile played across his lips as he looked at Will, his gaze softening as he took a step forward.

Will moved to step back, to get away from him, but hesitated; his body drawn to Hannibal’s.

Hannibal draw his face close to Will’s, his lips brushing against Will’s in a chaste kiss as he whispered, “And what if I am?”

Will felt a shudder roll up his spine, his lips trembling. He closed his eyes, feeling heavy tears well in his eyes; this isn’t what he wanted.

He felt the man’s warmth disappear as Hannibal took a step back.

Will slowly blinked his eyes open, looking to where Hannibal stood by the small table, his clear eyes staring dreamily down at the board game.

“A small lie can be more merciful than the truth,” Hannibal repeated, his voice drifting dreamily. “Sometimes the answers we look for aren’t the ones we want.”

**Author's Note:**

> celestialvoid-fanfiction.tumblr.com


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